Air distribution system



April 11, 1967 e. K. RAIDER AIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 21, 1964 1 2 INVENTOR. 5 666 K /4/0ue IYA\%/Z 2 M ATTORNEYS April 11, 1967 RA|DER AIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2- Filed 001:. 21, 19.54

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April 11, 1967 G. K. RAIDER 3,313,227

' AIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Filed 001;. 21, 1964 a Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR. 650266 K 54/062 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,313,227 AIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM George K. Raider, Schiller Park, Ill., assignor to The Pyle- National Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of New This invention relates to improvements in airdistribution systems and more particularly relates to a ceiling type of air distribution system which may be combined with a light distributor unit.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of air distributing and ventilating system for a room having a false ceiling composed of interlocking panels in which ventilation is obtained through the interlocking sides of the panels.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ventilating means for a room or the like, in which air diffusers connected with a main air duct extending along the ceiling of the room apportion the flow of air through air distributing slots in the interlocking panels of a false ceiling, disposed beneath the main ceiling of the room.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a combination lighting and illuminating unit for installation as a false ceiling of a room in which the unit includes a series of lighting fixtures extending along the false ceiling of the room and interlocking sound deadening panels extending from the lighting fixtures, and with the lighting fixtures forming in effect an air distribution and illuminating unit wherein the flow of air into the room is through interlocking flanges of the sound deadening panels, independently of the lighting fixtures. A still further object of the invention is to improve upon the interlocking sound panels heretofore in use and forming a sound deadening false ceiling of a room by providing air slots in the flanges of the panels for the distribution of air into the room.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of interlocking sound deadening ceiling panel forming a sound absorbing panel of a room and having at least one interlocking flange extending along one side thereof for supporting engagement with the next adjacent ceiling panel, in which the interlocking flange is slotted for the passage of air therethrough, and in which a novel form of liner for the slotted portion of the flange is provided, lining the flange and forming a baflfle for directing the air into the room in a selected direction.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a false ceiling constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of an interlocking sound absorbing panel unit constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through a main ceiling and illustrating the main air'duct, and the air diffusers and panels of the invention in elevation;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of one of the air diffusers showing the air diffuser in association with the supporting flange extending from one panel for supporting a next adjacent panel, with certain parts of the air diffuser and the baffle means extending through the flange shown in section;

FIGURE 5 is an enlanged sectional view taken through the air diffuser, showing the air diffuser in connected relation with respect to a supporting flange of a sound absorbing panel and showing a form of baflle means that may be used to direct the air into the room in a desired direction;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a form of insert and baffle that may be used to line the slots in a supporting flange of a sound absorbing panel; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the air diffuser in operative association with the insert and baflle illustrated in FIGURE 6.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrate-d in the drawings, I have shown in FIGURE 3 a main ceiling 10 of an architectural structure, such as a room, and a sub or false ceiling 11 spaced below the main ceiling 10, to provide a space in which may extend a primary air duct 12 of a ventilating system.

The false ceiling 11 is shown in FIGURE 1 as comprising a plurality of lighting fixtures 13, arranged in end to end relation with respect to each other and as having a plurality of sound absorbing panels 15, 15 extending from opposite'sides thereof, as will hereinafter more clearly appear as this specification proceeds.

The lighting fixtures 13, 13 are suitably suspended or otherwise supported beneath a level of the main ceiling 10 and may be of a conventional form having flat lenses or grills 14 substantially flush with the false ceiling.

The panels 15 may be similar to the panels shown and described in application Ser. No. 278,894 filed by Lester Burns and George K. Raider on May 8, 1963 and entitled, Combination Acoustic Ceiling Panel and Air Diffuser, except a bottom plate 16 of the panel only is perforated and a top plate 17 of the panel forms a closure for a honeycomb core (not shown). Sound waves thus pass thlough the perforations in the bottom plate and honeycomb core, and strike thetop plate of the panel (not shown), which acts as a sound deflector and deflects the sound back through the sound-deadening material in the honeycomb core toward the perforated bottom plate 16.

Each panel 15 has a flange 19 extending along one side thereof and terminating at its outer end into an upright lip 20 adapted to support the adjacent side of the next adjacent panel. The flange may be a continuation of the bottom plate 16. The opposite side of the panel 15 ha a relatively short flange 21 extending therealong terminating into an upright lip 22 having a downwardly turned hooked end portion 23 engaging and supported on the upright lip 20 of the flange 19. The adjacent panels may thus have interlocking supporting engagement with each other and this supporting engagement in addition to suitable support means for the ends of the panels may form an acoustical ceiling.

As shown in FIGURE 2 the flange 19 has a plurality of air flow slots 25, 25 extending therethrough adapted to be connected with the diffuser 26 for distributing air therethrough into the room from the ceiling, or for withdrawing air from the room. As shown in FIGURE 3, two diffusers 26 are provided one being on each side of the air duct 12 and each having a collar 27 extending inwardly therefrom and opening toward the air duct 12 and adapted to have a' flexible conduit 29 sealed thereto in air communication therewith. The end of the conduit 29 opposite the collar 27 leads to and may be sealed to the air duct 12 in a conventional manner.

Since the diffusers 26 are identical, the same reference numerals have been employed to represent corresponding parts and a description of one of the diffusers 26 will serve as a description for both units.

The diffuser 26 includes a vertically extending wall 3i) adapted to extend along the side wall of a panel 15, The Wall 30 has an inwardly turned foot or flange 31 at the bottom thereof resting on the flange 19. An opposite wall 32 of the diffuser rests on the flange 19, on the opposite side of the slot 25 from the wall 30 and extends parallel to the wall 30 for a portion of its length. The wall 32 is then flared outwardly from the wall 30 'to form an air chamber 33 in communication with the collar 29 extending therefrom toward the air duct 12. The wall 32 and flared portion thereof forming the air chamber 33 may be formed from an integral piece of sheet metal or plastic and is turned inwardly at its ends toward the wall 30 and is crimped or otherwise secured and sealed thereto to form a closed air chamber and downwardly opening air passageway for directing air downwardly between the walls 30 and 32 and downwardly through the slots 25, 25.

A suitable valve means (not shown) may be provided in the collar 29 or between the walls 30 and 32 to vary the volume of air flowing through the slots 25, 25 where conditions may require. This valve means is no part of the present invention and may be of any conventional form so need not herein be shown or described further.

In FIGURE 6 I have shown a part of a form of flow insert and baflle 35 that may line each slot 25. The insert 35 may be made from metal or plastic and is generally oval in form to conform to the form of the associated slot 25. As shown in FIGURES 4, 6 and 7 the insert and bafiie 35 has a generally oval flange portion 36 extending along the bottom of the flange 19 and around and outwardly of an associated slot 25 and generally conforming to the form of said slot. Parallel spaced baflles 37 are shown a extending upwardly from the flange 36 in the space between the legs 30' and 32 of the air diffuser 26. Retaining lugs 39 are shown as extending outwardly of the outer sides of the side walls 37 over the top surface of the flange 19, to retain the insert thereto. The baflles 37, 37, shown in FIGURES 4 and 7, extend perpendicularly to the flange 36 and form baflles directing the air straight downwardly into the room.

In FIGURE I have shown another form of insert 40 like the insert 35, except the insert has inclined baflles 41 and 42 extending upwardly from a flange 43 of the insert through the slot 25 and between the side walls 30 and 32 of the air difiuser 26. The baflle 41 is shown as terminating into a deflector 45 extending toward the wall 30 generally perpendicular to the baflle 42 for directing the air to the baflle 42 to flow outwardly through and to one side of the insert 40 and slot 25.

The baffles and inserts may be of various forms to direct the air in the required direction and may be made from a suitable plastic or metal.

It should be understood that the diffusers 26 may be used for supply or return air and may be connected either to a supply or return duct or to a separate air distributing plenum if desired.

It should also be understood that the panels 15 with the slotted flanges 19 thereof may be used primarily for ventilating purposes either in conjunction with or separate from lighting fixtures and that while we have shown air diffusers connected to supply or return air to the slots 25, 25 that the air diffusers need not necessarily be used, but the slots 25, 25 may be for supply or return air, conducted thereto in various other manners than the particular manner shown. The lighting fixtures may also be of various forms and may be used to return air to a return duct as well as light the room.

It may further be understood that the inserts 35 and 40 besides forming baffles deflecting the air in a required direction may also be used to vary the flow of air through the slots 25 or even to shut off the flow of air through said slots, and that similar inserts may be provided in the slots 25 covering certain of the slots, to block the flow of air therethr'ough, when required.

While I have herein shown and described several forms in which the invention may be embodied, it may readily be understood that various modifications and variroom to be ventilated comprising,

a false ceiling for the room including a plurality of interlocking panels supported beneath the ceiling of the room,

each panel having a first flange extending along one sidethereof and terminating into an upright lip having an outwardly opening downwardly hooked end portion,

and having a second flange extending along the opposite side of said panel terminating into an upright lip adapted to be engaged by the downwardly hooked end portion of a next adjacent panel for supporting said next adjacent panel,

at least one of said flanges having spaced air slots extending therealong in the space between the panel and the upright lip,

an air duct extending along the ceiling of the room in the space above said panels,

and a separate air diffuser in association with each flange having said spaced air slots extending therealong, and connected with said air duct at one end and having a downwardly opening air diffusing end in air diffusing association with the slots extending along the associated flange.

2. The structure of claim 1,

wherein individual inserts are provided for each slot and line the walls of said slots and extend upwardly therefrom into said air diffuser in preselected relation with respect to said flange, for directing the air into the room in a selected direction.

3. An air distributing and lighting system for cooperation with the ceiling of a room to be ventilated and illuminated comprising,

a false ceiling for the room including a series of aligned light fixtures extending along the room beneath the ceiling thereof and a plurality of parallel interlocking sound absorbing panels extending later-ally from opposite sides of said fixtures,

each panel having a generally horizontal flange extending along oneside thereof and forming a continuation of the bottom surface thereof and having a lip extending upwardly of and along the outer side thereof and having a second horizontal flange extending along the opposite side thereof having an upright lip extending therealong having an outwardly opening downwardly hooked end portion adapted to be supported on the upright lip extending along a next adjacent panel,

certain of said flanges having a plurality of spaced air slots extending therethrough for substantially the length thereof,

an air diffuser supported on each flange in association with the air slots extending therethrough and extending for substantially the length of the associated flange,

each air diffuser having spaced upstanding longitudinally extending walls forming a downwardly opening :air slot in communication with the slots extending through said flanges,

and also having an air chamber at its upper end portion having an opening through a side wall thereof for effectig a coupling connection with a ventilatnig system as an air supply or air return duct, disposed between the false ceiling and the ceiling of the room.

4. The structure of claim 3,

wherein inserts are provided for said slots and have interlocking engagement therewith, and also have baffles extending upwardly through said slots into said air diffuser for directing the air into a room in a. selected direction.

5 5. The structure of claim 3, wherein a plastic insert is provided for each slot and has a bottom portion extending along the bottom of the flange around the margin of the slot and an upright wall portion extending upwardly through said 5 slot and therearound,

wherein the upright wall portion has retaining means extending outwardly of said wall portion for engagement with the top surface of the associated flange, to retain the insert thereto,

and wherein said wall portions form baffles and one of said wall portions has an upper deflecting end deflecting a-ir toward the opposite wall portion to direct the air for discharge into the room in a selected direction.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,920357 1/ 1960 Ericson.

3,103,868 9/1963 Kodaras 98-40 3,187,661 6/1965 Dail 9840 3,202,078 8/1965 Meek et a1. 98-40 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN AIR DISTRIBUTING APPARTUS FOR THE CEILING OF A ROOM TO BE VENTILATED COMPRISING, A FALSE CEILING FOR THE ROOM INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF INTERLOCKING PANELS SUPPORTED BENEATH THE CEILING OF THE ROOM, EACH PANEL HAVING A FIRST FLANGE EXTENDING ALONG ONE SIDE THEREOF AND TERMINATING INTO AN UPRIGHT LIP HAVING AN OUTWARDLY OPENING DOWNARDLY HOOKED END PORTION, AND HAVING A SECOND FLANGE EXTENDING ALONG THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID PANEL TERMINATING INTO AN UPRIGHT LIP ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY THE DOWNWARDLY HOOKED END PORTION OF A NEXT ADJACENT PANEL FOR SUPPORTING SAID NEXT ADJACENT PANEL, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FLANGES HAVING SPACED AIR SLOTS EXTENDING THEREALONG IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE PANEL AND THE UPRIGHT LIP, AN AIR DUCT EXTENDING ALONG THE CEILING OF THE ROOM IN THE SPACE ABOVE SAID PANELS, AND A SEPARATE AIR DIFFUSER IN ASSOCIATION WITH EACH FLANGE HAVING SAID SPACED AIR SLOTS EXTENDING THEREALONG, AND CONNECTED WITH SAID AIR DUCT AT ONE END AND HAVING A DOWNWARDLY OPENING AIR DIFFUSING END IN AIR DIFFUSING ASSOCIATION WITH THE SLOTS EXTENDING ALONG THE ASSOCIATED FLANGE. 